Upcoming events.
MASKS ARE HIGHLY ENCOURAGED AT ALL ACTIONS AND EVENTS.
Protect Students' Rights: WMU Board of Trustees Meeting
WMU Board of Trustees Meeting:
Protect Students’ Rights
Date: Thursday, April 17, 2025
Location: WMU Student Center Ballroom (2nd floor)
Time: 12PM - 2PM
Public Comment: 3-minute limit
Pizza for the People: 11AM - 12PM
Grab a piece of pizza outside the Student Center Ballroom to learn more about student demands and how you can help.
WMU Students for Justice in Palestine Statement:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WMU Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) Rejects WMU’s Institutional Neutrality Policy
February 11, 2025
Western Michigan University Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) firmly rejects President Montgomery’s statement and the administration’s newly announced “Guidelines for Stewarding our Institutional Voice,” a move that abandons its international students and faculty at a time of heightened political repression. This so-called neutrality is a thinly veiled attempt to disengage from the urgent concerns of students and faculty who have spent nearly a year working with the President’s cabinet to implement tangible actions in solidarity with their students. Rather than standing for justice and academic freedom, WMU has chosen to prioritize optics over action, issuing vague statements while refusing to acknowledge the real threats that students and faculty now face under the Trump administration’s executive orders.
At last week’s WMU Board of Trustees meeting, numerous students and faculty members delivered public comments highlighting the university’s duty to protect international students from politically motivated federal policies, yet President Montgomery sat in silence, offering no response, no acknowledgment, and no commitment to action. Instead, the administration chose to prioritize drafting this performative neutrality policy, which effectively silences the university from taking any stance on issues of human rights and social justice—including the genocide of what most experts now agree to be as many as 300,000 to 800,000 Palestinians murdered.
The FAQ document accompanying this statement makes it abundantly clear that the university’s new neutrality policy is a direct response to students demanding divestment from the military industrial complex. Instead of working on meaningful resolutions to uphold the university’s ethical and moral obligations, WMU’s administration has chosen to insulate itself from accountability, ensuring that student concerns will be ignored in the name of “neutrality.”
Furthermore, WMU’s undergraduate student enrollment has dropped by a staggering 25% since 2017, while international undergraduate enrollment has surged by 28%. In the past year alone, international enrollment grew by 20%, nearly single-handedly preventing another major enrollment decline. Despite these numbers, the administration refuses to acknowledge its financial dependence on international students while simultaneously failing to protect them.
WMU invests hundreds of thousands of dollars annually in international recruitment efforts, benefiting from higher tuition rates paid by non-resident students. Yet, when these same students are targeted by the federal government, WMU remains silent. This is not neutrality—this is complicity.
The administration’s own FAQ page states: "An issue is considered to affect a campus community member in their role at Western if it interferes with their ability to learn, teach, conduct research or creative scholarship, or work on campus."
The executive orders will interfere in all of these areas:
International students now risk deportation for exercising their free speech rights, making it impossible to focus on coursework without fear of retaliation.
Faculty on visas may be forced to leave, disrupting research, teaching, and student mentorship.
Students from marginalized communities are disproportionately targeted, creating a hostile and unsafe campus environment.
Mental health concerns will skyrocket, as international students live under the constant fear of surveillance and deportation.
Let us be clear: There is no neutrality when it comes to genocide. There is no neutrality when international students are actively under threat of deportation, political repression, and state violence. There is no neutrality when this university relies exclusively on international student enrollment and tuition to make up for two decades of domestic enrollment in freefall, while utterly failing to cultivate safety and inclusivity for those international students in the wake of unprecedented executive orders.
This administration cannot remain neutral while its own students are under threat. If WMU truly values its international student body, it must act now to provide tangible protections—not vague promises or performative neutrality. To accomplish this, SJP is demanding WMU take the following steps to protect international students:
Legal Protections & Advocacy
Provide free legal consultations and create an emergency legal fund.
Offer Know-Your-Rights workshops in partnership with legal aid organizations.
Assist affected students in filing asylum or visa extensions.
Noncompliance with Federal Targeting of Student Activists
Refuse to act as an informant on student activism.
Commit to noncompliance with politically motivated investigations.
Implement a sanctuary campus policy protecting students from unjust deportation.
Immediate Implementation of a Campus Raid Response Plan
Establish designated safe zones where students can seek emergency legal support.
Develop a rapid-response system to alert legal teams and advocacy organizations.
Public Assurance of Safety & Non-Discrimination
Issue a public statement rejecting the executive orders.
Ensure that student activism is not grounds for disciplinary action or immigration reporting.
Transparency & Student Involvement
Establish a task force of international student representatives and legal experts.
Hold quarterly town halls where students can voice concerns directly to the administration.
We call on all students, faculty, and community members to stand with us in rejecting WMU’s neutrality policy and demanding action. The administration has made its position clear—now, it’s time to make ours.
TAKE ACTION:
Email President Montgomery and the WMU Board of Trustees to reject this so-called neutrality policy and demand protections for international students.
Sign and share our petition calling for institutional accountability.
Follow @sjpwmu on Instagram to stay up-to-date on our actions and events.
We refuse to accept neutrality in the face of oppression. WMU must choose a side.
WMU Students for Justice in Palestine
Weekly Protest For Gaza
Join KNOW every Sunday to rally against apartheid and demand liberation for Palestinians.
Coffee & tea social hour to follow at Factory Coffee on Frank Street from 1:30pm to 2:30pm.
MASKS ARE HIGHLY ENCOURAGED.
KNOW Monthly Member Meeting
Ensure your voice and opinions are heard by attending our Monthly Member Meeting the THIRD Sunday of the month at 3PM! Meetings are held at the College of Engineering, near the corner of Drake and Parkview, in the cafeteria. Free visitor parking is available to the left of the main entrance. Refreshments are provided, but members are encouraged to bring a snack to pass.
Weekly Protest For Gaza
Join KNOW every Sunday to rally against apartheid and demand liberation for Palestinians.
Coffee & tea social hour to follow at Factory Coffee on Frank Street from 1:30pm to 2:30pm.
MASKS ARE HIGHLY ENCOURAGED.
Weekly Protest For Gaza
Join KNOW every Sunday to rally against apartheid and demand liberation for Palestinians.
Coffee & tea social hour to follow at Factory Coffee on Frank Street from 1:30pm to 2:30pm.
MASKS ARE HIGHLY ENCOURAGED.
Weekly Protest For Gaza
Join KNOW every Sunday to rally against apartheid and demand liberation for Palestinians.
Coffee & tea social hour to follow at Factory Coffee on Frank Street from 1:30pm to 2:30pm.
MASKS ARE HIGHLY ENCOURAGED.
Weekly Protest For Gaza
Join KNOW every Sunday to rally against apartheid and demand liberation for Palestinians.
Coffee & tea social hour to follow at Factory Coffee on Frank Street from 1:30pm to 2:30pm.
MASKS ARE HIGHLY ENCOURAGED.
Weekly Protest For Gaza
Join KNOW every Sunday to rally against apartheid and demand liberation for Palestinians.
Coffee & tea social hour to follow at Factory Coffee on Frank Street from 1:30pm to 2:30pm.
MASKS ARE HIGHLY ENCOURAGED.
Weekly Protest For Gaza
Join KNOW every Sunday to rally against apartheid and demand liberation for Palestinians.
Coffee & tea social hour to follow at Factory Coffee on Frank Street from 1:30pm to 2:30pm.
MASKS ARE HIGHLY ENCOURAGED.
SJP Talk: Palestine Beyond the Headlines
Join WMU’s Student’s for Justice in Palestine (SJP) for SJP Talk: Palestine Beyond the Headlines, an evening of powerful discussion and organizing featuring special guest speakers Layla Elabed & Lexis Zeidan—leaders of the national Uncommitted Movement and fierce advocates for Palestinian liberation.
📅 Tuesday, April 8
⏰ 5:00PM - 8:00PM
📍 Sangren Hall, Room #1740
🚗 Parking in Lot 41
🍽 Food & refreshments provided
As the U.S. government continues to fund Israel’s genocide in Gaza while cracking down on student activists, we must cut through the mainstream narratives and expose the truth. This event will explore the realities of Palestine beyond the headlines, the impact of student-led organizing, and what we can do to mobilize for action.
🎤 Meet Our Speakers: Lexis Zeidan & Layla Elabed! 🇵🇸
📢 Lexis Zeidan is a Palestinian-American human rights activist, educator, and community leader from Dearborn, Michigan. She is a co-founder of Detroit Kids Matter and the Managing Director of Strategic Initiatives at Teach For America Detroit, advocating for educational equity and access. Lexis played a pivotal role in the Uncommitted National Movement, a historic grassroots campaign that mobilized nearly 750,000 uncommitted votes in protest of U.S. support for Israel’s genocide in Gaza, securing 36 delegates for the Democratic National Convention. She continues to use her platform to uplift Palestinian liberation, social justice, and grassroots activism.
📢 Layla Elabed is a Palestinian-American organizer and campaign manager for Listen to Michigan, the Michigan-based effort that ignited the national Uncommitted movement. A longtime advocate for environmental justice, equitable housing, and voting rights, Layla organizes across Southeast Michigan to empower BIPOC communities and mobilize collective action. As a daughter of Palestinian immigrants and a mother of three, she is deeply committed to intersectional justice and the fight for liberation, along with her sister, Representative Rashida Tlaib. Under her leadership, Listen to Michigan secured over 104,000 uncommitted votes in the state’s Democratic primary, sending a clear message of resistance against U.S. complicity in genocide.
Join us for an evening of powerful dialogue, organizing, and solidarity with Lexis Zeidan & Layla Elabed as they share their insights on movement-building, political power, and the fight for Palestinian liberation. ✊🏽🇵🇸
📢 Don’t miss this conversation—be part of the movement!
Weekly Protest For Gaza
Join KNOW every Sunday to rally against apartheid and demand liberation for Palestinians.
Coffee & tea social hour to follow at Factory Coffee on Frank Street from 1:30pm to 2:30pm.
MASKS ARE HIGHLY ENCOURAGED.
Michigan Investment Board Meeting
It's a new year, but we are still fighting to end the genocide. The second State of Michigan Investment Board (SMIB) Meeting of 2025 will be Wednesday April 2nd, at 9:30 am, in Lansing (and virtually). Join us in demanding the State of MI Investment Board divest public retirement funds from from over $11 million in Israel bonds!
On Oct. 1st AND Jan. 8th, alongside numerous public employees, teachers and retirees, as members of The Coalition for a Free Palestine we demanded the State of MI Investment Board break the bonds. The Board did not respond to our demands and canceled their previous meeting last minute. Join us in letting them know they cannot ignore the people of MI who refuse see their retirement and tax dollars fund Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people.
MI public school teachers and retirees, your retirements fund genocide!
The SMIB manages the retirement funds for hundreds of thousands of public employees and retirees, including public school and community college employees, state employees, state police, state judges, and state military personnel. This includes the Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System (MPSERS) for public school teachers and employees. The Israel bonds currently managed by the Board fund the defined benefit portion of MI teachers, public employees, and retirees' pensions in this system. Recently, AFT Local 2000, representing Wayne County Community College passed a resolution in support of divesting MPSERS from Israel bonds. We urge others to follow.
Tell the State of MI Investment Board to BREAK THE BONDS!
When: Wednesday April 2nd, 2025 @ 9:30am
Where: Heritage Hall, 323 W. Ottawa St, State Room South-HH, Lansing, MI 48933
Public comment typically begins around 10:45am (arrive at least before then). No pre-registration is required. All speakers get 5 minutes. Wear a kuffiyeh or something visible to show your support, and
bring a friend to pack the room!
Join the meeting and speak during public comment remotely via Microsoft Teams: tinyurl.com/SMIBMeetingAgenda
Note: Please be patient if it takes a while for you to be admitted to the room
How to support:
1. Make public comment at the SMIB Meeting on April 2nd and encourage others to do the same.
2. Help introduce a divestment resolution in your local teachers' union.
3. Work with fellow educators at KPS, KVCC, WMU, and other local schools to push for action.
4. Join Michigan Divest’s statewide campaign to demand MPSERS (Michigan Public School Employees' Retirement System) divest from Israel bonds.
5. Call 517-335-5401 and leave a message for the State of MI Investment Board
6. Email the State of MI Treasurer, Rachael Eubanks: EubanksR@michigan.gov
7. Sign the Michigan Divest petition: tinyurl.com/MichiganDivestPetition
Michigan Divest is a campaign of The Coalition for a Free Palestine. Follow @MichiganDivest and @lansingforpalestine on Instagram or visit lansingforpalestine.org for updates!
Weekly Protest For Gaza
Join KNOW every Sunday to rally against apartheid and demand liberation for Palestinians.
Coffee & tea social hour to follow at Factory Coffee on Frank Street from 1:30pm to 2:30pm.
MASKS ARE HIGHLY ENCOURAGED.
Weekly Protest For Gaza
Join KNOW every Sunday to rally against apartheid and demand liberation for Palestinians.
Coffee & tea social hour to follow at Factory Coffee on Frank Street from 1:30pm to 2:30pm.
MASKS ARE HIGHLY ENCOURAGED.
KNOW Monthly Member Meeting
Ensure your voice and opinions are heard by attending our Monthly Member Meeting the THIRD Sunday of the month at 3PM! Meetings are held at the College of Engineering, near the corner of Drake and Parkview, in the cafeteria. Free visitor parking is available to the left of the main entrance. Refreshments are provided, but members are encouraged to bring a snack to pass.
Weekly Protest For Gaza
Join KNOW every Sunday to rally against apartheid and demand liberation for Palestinians.
Coffee & tea social hour to follow at Factory Coffee on Frank Street from 1:30pm to 2:30pm.
MASKS ARE HIGHLY ENCOURAGED.
Surviving Genocide: A WMU Graduate's Journey from Gaza to Michigan
On Thursday, March 13, 2025, Kalamazoo Nonviolent Opponents of War (KNOW), WMU Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), and WMU Muslim Student Association (MSA) will host a special event, free and open to the community, “Surviving Genocide: A WMU Graduate’s Journey from Gaza to Michigan,” featuring Abdelaziz Abu Shaaban, a WMU alumnus and survivor of Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza.
This event will provide a critical space for testimony, education, and collective reflection on the genocide in Gaza, as well as an opportunity for the community to come together in solidarity and action.
Abdelaziz Abu Shaaban: Background
Abdelaziz Abu Shaaban first arrived in Kalamazoo over twenty years ago to complete a Master's degree in Teaching, Learning and Educational Studies at Western Michigan University. During his degree program, he and his wife welcomed their first child, Yousof. After graduation, the family returned to Gaza and Abdelaziz lovingly served his community for two decades as a school teacher, specializing in instruction for the visually impaired, and welcomed two daughters to his family.
It's an understatement to say that everything changed in October 2023 when Israel's relentless bombardment of the Gaza strip began. On October 18, an Israeli airstrike ripped through the family home, killing Abdelaziz's oldest daughter Joud, and severely injuring him and his other children, just weeks after Yousof had begun his university studies. It's necessary to note that Abdelaziz lost his sight at the age of 8, so when his right arm was severely injured in the attack, he lost much of his ability to navigate the world all over again. After being treated at an overwhelmed Al Shifa Hospital, the family was among few able to evacuate to Egypt in November 2023, and then to the United States in December, eventually landing in Flint, Michigan.
Abdelaziz has undergone numerous procedures and rehabilitation programs to regain the use of his dominant arm, and is currently completing a program at the Bureau of Services for Blind Persons in Kalamazoo. He has used his time here to reconnect to the Kalamazoo community, to share his story and to advocate for an end to Israel's genocide in Gaza and the liberation of the Palestinian people.
This event will feature:
A keynote address by Abdelaziz Abu Shaaban, detailing his personal journey, the war crimes committed against his people, and the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.
A communal dinner at 7:30 PM, honoring the observance of Ramadan by breaking fast together at sunset.
An interactive Q&A session, providing an opportunity for attendees to engage directly with Abdelaziz, ask questions, and discuss avenues for action.
Honoring Ramadan & Inviting the Community to Break Fast
As this event falls during the holy month of Ramadan, KNOW, WMUSJP, and WMUMSA invite the Muslim and non-Muslim community to join us for a communal dinner at 7:30 PM, catered by Shawarma King. We hope to create space for collective reflection and solidarity with Palestinians, many of whom have been forcibly starved due to Israel’s blockade and targeted destruction of food supplies.
Why This Matters
Expanding perspectives is critical in a time of mass disinformation. This event offers attendees the opportunity to hear directly from a Gaza genocide survivor, challenging mainstream narratives and deepening understanding of the realities on the ground in Gaza.
The genocide in Gaza has claimed the lives of what experts and officials estimate to be between 200,000 and 800,000 Palestinians. The U.S. government remains Israel’s largest financial and military financier, approving billions in weapons sales that continue to fuel ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.
Meanwhile, international students across the U.S. —including those at WMU—are facing unprecedented political persecution and repression due to recent executive orders targeting pro-Palestinian activists. Universities that rely heavily on international student tuition, including WMU, have failed to protect their students from these threats. Community-building and care are essential in times of crisis. This event is an opportunity to come together in solidarity, learn and connect, provide mutual support, and reaffirm our shared commitment to justice and humanity.
WMU students, faculty, staff, and community members are invited to attend. Admission is free and open to the public. Donations will be directed to support Palestinian relief efforts.
Masks provided. Free parking in lot 61.
WMUK Article: A wounded WMU alumnus from Gaza is healing in the US, but says “I don't want to be a burden"
WMUK Article: Peace activists fundraise for a Gaza City family with Kalamazoo ties
Weekly Protest For Gaza
Join KNOW every Sunday to rally against apartheid and demand liberation for Palestinians.
Coffee & tea social hour to follow at Factory Coffee on Frank Street from 1:30pm to 2:30pm.
MASKS ARE HIGHLY ENCOURAGED.
Weekly Protest For Gaza
Join KNOW every Sunday to rally against apartheid and demand liberation for Palestinians.
Coffee & tea social hour to follow at Factory Coffee on Frank Street from 1:30pm to 2:30pm.
MASKS ARE HIGHLY ENCOURAGED.
Weekly Protest For Gaza
Join KNOW every Sunday at the Kalamazoo Federal Building from 12pm to 1pm as we rally for peace in Gaza and Lebanon.
KNOW Leadership Collective Open Meeting
Ensure your voice and opinions are heard by attending our Monthly Member Meeting the THIRD Sunday of the month at 6PM! Meetings are held at the College of Engineering, near the corner of Drake and Parkview, in room C-123. Free visitor parking is available to the left of the main entrance. Refreshments are provided, but members are encouraged to bring a snack to pass.
Weekly Protest For Gaza & Lebanon
Join KNOW every Sunday at the Kalamazoo Federal Building from 12pm to 1pm as we rally for peace in Gaza and Lebanon.
Weekly Protest For Gaza & Lebanon
Join KNOW every Sunday at the Kalamazoo Federal Building from 12pm to 1pm as we rally for peace in Gaza and Lebanon.
Weekly Protest For Gaza & Lebanon
Join KNOW every Sunday at the Kalamazoo Federal Building from 12pm to 1pm as we rally for peace in Gaza and Lebanon.
Weekly Protest For Gaza & Lebanon
Join KNOW every Sunday at the Kalamazoo Federal Building from 12pm to 1pm as we rally for peace in Gaza and Lebanon.
KNOW Leadership Collective Open Meeting
Ensure your voice and opinions are heard by attending our Monthly Member Meeting the THIRD Sunday of the month at 6PM! Meetings are held at the College of Engineering, near the corner of Drake and Parkview, in room C-123. Free visitor parking is available to the left of the main entrance. Refreshments are provided, but members are encouraged to bring a snack to pass.
Weekly Protest For Gaza & Lebanon
Join KNOW every Sunday at the Kalamazoo Federal Building from 12pm to 1pm as we rally for peace in Gaza and Lebanon.
Weekly Protest For Gaza & Lebanon
Join KNOW every Sunday at the Kalamazoo Federal Building from 12pm to 1pm as we rally for peace in Gaza and Lebanon.
Weekly Protest For Gaza & Lebanon
Join KNOW every Sunday at the Kalamazoo Federal Building from 12pm to 1pm as we rally for peace in Gaza and Lebanon.
KNOW Leadership Collective Open Meeting
Ensure your voice and opinions are heard by attending our Monthly Member Meeting the THIRD Sunday of the month at 6PM! Meetings are held at the College of Engineering, near the corner of Drake and Parkview, in room C-123. Free visitor parking is available to the left of the main entrance. Refreshments are provided, but members are encouraged to bring a snack to pass.
Weekly Protest For Gaza & Lebanon
Join KNOW every Sunday at the Kalamazoo Federal Building from 12pm to 1pm as we rally for peace in Gaza and Lebanon.
Weekly Rally for Peace in Gaza
Join KNOW every Sunday at the Kalamazoo Federal Building from 12pm to 1pm as we rally for peace in Gaza.
Artists for Aid: Gaza Benefit Show
🚨 KZOO ARTISTS FOR AID 🚨
DROP BASS, NOT BOMBS! Come down to Papa Pete’s on Saturday, September 28th, for our Artists for Aid Gaza Benefit show with fendz and friends! Doors open at 8PM, with music starting at 9PM. There is a $5 minimum donation to enter - bring cash or purchase your ticket ahead of time at the link below. All proceeds will be donated directly to Palestinian families surviving in Gaza.
** MASKS ARE HIGHLY ENCOURAGED **
Supporting artists, vendors, and performers interested in participating in this event should reach out to newsfromknow@gmail.com.
Tickets: www.givebutter.com/artists4aid
Weekly Rally for Peace in Gaza
Join KNOW every Sunday at the Kalamazoo Federal Building from 12pm to 1pm as we rally for peace in Gaza.
Weekly Rally for Peace in Gaza
Join KNOW every Sunday at the Kalamazoo Federal Building from 12pm to 1pm as we rally for peace in Gaza.
Weekly Rally for Peace in Gaza
Join KNOW every Sunday at the Kalamazoo Federal Building from 12pm to 1pm as we rally for peace in Gaza.
Weekly Wednesday Solidarity Rally
Join KNOW every Wednesday in Portage for a Gaza Solidarity Rally & March!
March on the DNC
Join KNOW and Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids as we march on the Democratic National Convention in Chicago to demand the so-called progressive party nominate a candidate who opposes US Intervention in Palestine and who will end US aid to Israel!
Can’t attend? SUPPORT OUR TRAVEL EXPENSES
BUSSING: We will meet in Grand Rapids at 8am for check-in, and arrive in Chicago ahead of the planned rally and march. We will leave Chicago before 7 pm and arrive back to our starting location by 11 pm. These times are subject to change slightly as more information comes available.
If you are unable to afford the $50 ticket price, there are a limited number of subsidized seats available. Please email palestinesolidaritygr@gmail.com with your request for a sponsored ticket and let us know how much you are able to afford. First come, first served.
From the Coalition to March on the DNC website:
The March on the DNC coalition fights for the rights and liberation of oppressed people and against the exploitation of workers. Beginning on August 19th 2024, we will march on the Democratic National Convention in Chicago to bring the people's agenda to within sight and sound of the Democratic Party leadership.
We recognize the Democratic Party as a tool of billionaires and corporations.
Their actions, such as financing genocide in Palestine and war in multiple countries; continuing the mass incarceration of Black and brown people; deporting millions of immigrants; and neglecting campaign promises made to the oppressed communities who represent their voting base, show that the Democratic Party only serves the agenda of the rich and powerful. Recent gains in the rights of oppressed people have been made by grassroots organizations in spite of a lack of support and often outright opposition from Democratic Party leaders.
History has proven what Frederick Douglass once said: “power concedes nothing without a demand.”
We are calling on other grassroots organizations that are fighting for exploited and oppressed people to unite with us as we take the demands of the people to the Democratic Party in August 2024.
Volunteer: https://www.kzoo4peace.org/marchondnc